Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with fertilizers for controllably-releasing molybdenum.
Description of the Prior Art
Molybdenum is an essential micronutrient for plant growth. Molybdenum is utilized by two plant enzymes that are responsible for converting nitrates into nitrites, and then nitrites into ammonia. That ammonia is then used by those plants to synthesize amino acids. Molybdenum is also used to convert inorganic phosphorus to organic phosphorus in plants, and legumes specifically need molybdenum to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Molybdenum uptake from the soil by plants is most efficient at higher pHs (>7) and less efficient at lower pH soils (<7). Farmers who have fields or field areas with low pHs and who also have Molybdenum deficiency do not have any tools that singly address these two soil issues when they occur together.
Furthermore, a current, typical agronomic practice for fertilizing a field with molybdenum is to use large-sized frits or granules that are broadcasted across a field at an application rate of 6-12 oz. per acre. This causes widespread distribution that may have many inches or even feet between granules. This varying distribution reduces the probability that the plants will have the ability to have access to the nutrient. No prior art molybdenum fertilizers have solved this problem, therefore making it a dire need to develop a novel fertilizer that can address these concerns.
This present invention is a new molybdenum fertilizer that addresses both of these issues. First, the invention increases molybdenum availability to plants in a controlled manner for longer time periods regardless of soil pH. Second, it uniformly distributes molybdenum throughout the soil.